Georgia drivers inducted in UPS Circle of Honor

ATLANTA — Twenty-nine elite UPS drivers from Georgia, including two with southwest Georgia ties, were among 1,436 newly inducted worldwide into the company’s Circle of Honor recently, an honorary organization for UPS drivers who have achieved 25 or more years of accident-free driving.

Franklin Smith of Albany, who works out of his hometown’s work station, and James Irwin of Cordele, who works out of UPS’ Unadilla station, were among the 29 Georgians inducted into the Circle of Honor.

Georgia boasts 344 Circle of Honor drivers with a combined 10,246 years of accident-free driving. Felton Lee McCant Jr. of Moultrie is the state’s senior-most safe driver, with 44 years of accident-free driving under his belt. There are 3,201 total full-time UPS drivers in Georgia.

“My thanks go to all of them for their dedication and focus and for the countless lives they’ve saved,” Derrick Johnson, president of the UPS South Atlantic District, said in a news release. “Their attention to detail has kept them safe and has helped improve public safety.”

Globally, the most seasoned UPS Circle of Honor driver is Thomas Camp of Livonia, Mich., with 56 years of driving without an accident. Ronald McKnight of Bronx, N.Y., is next in line with 50 years of safe driving. One hundred twenty six others have logged at least 40 years without an accident.

UPS’s 125,000 small package drivers worldwide are statistically among the safest on the roads, logging close to 4 billion miles a year and delivering 5.2 billion packages annually.

Collectively, these drivers have achieved more than 298,957 years of safe driving throughout their careers. That’s enough time behind the wheel to drive non-stop from Miami to San Diego – 68 million times. And they’ve done it while helping to deliver 3 percent of the world’s GDP – 20 million packages a day.

Founded in 1907, UPS has a long history of safety and training. The company issued its first driver handbook in 1917 and began recognizing safe drivers in 1923. In 1928, UPS recognized its first five-year safe driver, Ray McCue, with UPS founder Jim Casey presenting him a gold and platinum watch. UPS formally established its safe driving honor program in 1928.

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